


Just you wait

by Aryn



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Homophobia, M/M, Racism, but then some people aren't, some people are dicks okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 07:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11459349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryn/pseuds/Aryn
Summary: “Just wait, in a week, it’ll be someone else.”Well, Alec lasted a bit more than a week.--A look into the weeks following Alec's appointment as the Head of the New York Institute.





	Just you wait

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it has been awhile hasn't it? I'm sorry I've been absent, but now that I'm done with school I should be back for good! I hope you guys like this story — it turned out waaaaay longer than I expected, and I still think it sounds rushed in several parts. But I just had to write something after my boy Alec was made Head of the Institute. It got away from me a little bit. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!

“Just wait, in a week, it’ll be someone else.”

** Week 2 **

Izzy watched in amusement as her older brother paced around his office, phone inches away from his face while he stared at his screen. There was no doubt he was obsessively checking his to-do list for the thousandth time that hour, certain he left something out. 

“Alec, would you quit worrying? Everything is going to be fine. You’ll only be gone a few hours anyway.”

“I’m forgetting something, Iz. I know I am,” Alec said as he scratched his scalp, messing up his already chaotic hair. Izzy hated seeing him like this. She knew she had to do something to stop him from spiraling further. 

“You aren’t. But you _are_ letting them get inside your head.” 

Alec didn’t need to ask who she was talking about. The other shadowhunters of the New York Institute were not exactly shy about expressing their distaste about Alec’s appointment. He knew that people wouldn’t be happy purely based on his last name or his relationship status. He was prepared for it, but he was equally determined to prove them wrong. 

“I can handle the pressure. I’ve been dealing with it my whole life,” he said, still not looking up from his phone. 

“Yes, but now you finally have everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself anymore.”

“That’s exactly what I need to be. The tiniest mistake I make is going to be judged much harder than it would for someone else. Every action I take has to be purposeful.”

People were already starting to talk about the most recent adjustment Alec made to the downworld cabinet just a few days ago. After the incident with Luke was resolved at their first meeting, they discussed finding a different location. However, it proved to be impossible to find a place that was both neutral and practical to hold their meetings once a week, so they settled on a compromise. Each representative would take turns choosing the location for their meetings.

Raphael volunteered Hotel Dumort as the spot for their meeting that night. In the days following their deal, Alec was privy to an endless stream of whispers. Poorly concealed remarks about how he was degrading himself by voluntarily going into a “disgusting vampire den.” Some shadowhunters even had the audacity to act concerned for his safety, as though they thought he was bound to be attacked by the other vampires. Instead of arguing against the absurdity of their comments, Alec just grit his teeth and endured it. He had to pick his battles wisely if he wanted to make change on a larger scale. 

“People are going to say what they’re going to say Alec,” Izzy said, walking over to him and putting her hand on his arm to bring the phone away from his face. “But they don’t matter, because you are by far the best person for this job. Your skill will prove that on its own. You don’t need to torture yourself trying to be perfect every second of the day.”

Alec stared at her for a long moment, then sighed and looked at the floor. His sister was right far too often. “I get that. But still, the last thing I need is for something to happen while I’m gone tonight.”

“And nothing will. You’ve covered your bases,” she said, gesturing to his phone, where a long list of items were written, each one check off already. “You will be the first person Jace and I call if anything goes wrong, but you’ve made sure everyone is prepared. It’s all going to be fine. I promise.”

“But — ” Alec’s protest was cut off by the sound of a portal popping up in the center of his office. Out stepped Magnus, smirking at the sight of his obviously flustered boyfriend and smug sister. 

“Well it appears I’ve arrived just in time.”

“Magnus, what are you doing here? The cabinet meeting isn’t for two hours. Is everything alright?” Alec asked, pleased to see the warlock, but concerned as to why he was at the Institute.

“I received a message from your lovely sister a few minutes ago. She told me you were over here giving yourself gray hairs.”

Alec turned his head to glare at Izzy, who was sporting a shit-eating grin. 

“You called Magnus?”

“No one can get your mind off of work quite like he can.”

“It’s one of my many talents,” Magnus bragged as he made his way to the two of them and took Alec’s hand. “Come on Alexander. You deserve a break.”

“Magnus, I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“You _can_ Alec,” Izzy argued. “Go. Take a little bit of time off before the cabinet meeting tonight. Jace and I have everything under control.”

Alec stared silently between Izzy and Magnus, clearly conflicted as to what he should do. This lasted a few moments before Magnus rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers to create another portal. 

“Alright, well this could literally go on for hours, so I’m making an executive decision. Darling, you’re coming with me,” Magnus told Alec with a firm tone that left no room for argument. “If you’re needed over here at any point I can just portal you back in a second.”

Magnus started to pull Alec back toward the portal, and Alec didn’t struggle, but he did look back at Izzy a bit frantically, “I gave you the security codes, didn’t I?”

“Yes, and all the information on tonight’s patrols. Don’t worry, I’ll have everyone tucked into bed by 10 o’clock. Have fun!”

Alec didn’t even have time to scold Izzy before he was sucked through the portal and suddenly found himself standing in Magnus’ loft. 

—

Later that night, Alec was feeling much more at ease as he and the rest of the cabinet discussed business at Hotel Dumort. The two hours he spent relaxing with Magnus was exactly what he needed — not that he would ever admit that to Izzy. 

Negotiations with the cabinet were going well. Progress was slow, but it was progress. They decided to take a short break after spending the past hour trying to persuade Meliorn to accept their proposal to improve communication between the mundane and seelie realms. 

In the meantime, Alec was taking the opportunity to explore Hotel Dumort. He had only been inside a few times before, and it was mainly for missions, so he never had time to appreciate how beautiful the building really was. Each of the artifacts he observed were at least a century old, Alec was sure. The Brooklyn vampire clan did a great job in preserving their history. 

While he walked through the hallways, a pestering thought niggled in the back of Alec’s head. Why couldn’t the other shadowhunters at the Institute accept the downworlders in their district? They certainly weren’t so different as the Nephilim made them out to be. If any of them took just a moment to learn a little bit about the downworld community, they would see how alike they were. But there was no way Alec could convince them to do that — not when they were already so set in their ways.

“You look a little lost.”

Alec jumped at the voice and turned to face Raphael, who was leaning against a wall at the opposite end of the hall. The vampire took a few steps toward the shadowhunter. 

“You don’t need to worry,” Raphael said. “I’m sure Meliorn will come around eventually.”  
  
Alec didn’t bother telling him the real reason he was distracted. The shadowhunters’ ignorance wasn’t the downworld's problem. Instead, Alec just sighed and glanced at the oil painting beside him.

“Look, I realized I never actually apologized to you, Raphael,” Alec said to change the subject. 

Raphael furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn’t need to ask what Alec was referring to. “I appreciate the gesture, Alec, but you don’t need to apologize to me. It was my fault.”

Alec just stared at the vampire for a moment, puzzled. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“I enabled your sister’s addiction,” Raphael admitted through clenched teeth, his fists balled at his side. “You can’t tell me I didn’t deserve a punch in the face.”

“No one deserves to be assaulted like that,” Alec replied with conviction. “I was in the wrong. I let my over protective nature blind me from the obvious fact that you were a struggling addict yourself. It was completely out of line, what I did. I’m sorry.”

“Well, thank you,” Raphael said, not sure how else to respond. He didn’t understand how Izzy’s older brother could excuse his actions, when Raphael himself couldn’t seem to let it go. Alec seemed to pick up on this, from the way his eyes scanned across the vampire’s face. 

“You should try to forgive yourself,” he said. “Take it from a guy who has also dealt with self-hatred for most of his life. It gets easier once you learn to accept your mistakes and move on.”

“From what I hear, you are not the best example of that.”

“I am not. It’s difficult to give yourself a break, but you will be happier in the end. Trust me.”

It was quiet for a few moments after that. Raphael had not expected their conversation to get so personal. He cleared his throat to break the silence. “We should probably head back to the ballroom. The others are probably waiting.”

Alec didn’t argue, and walked beside Raphael as they made their way back to their meeting space. They were both caught off guard when they rounded the corner and came face to face with Magnus, who was starting at them with wide eyes and a small smile.  
  
“Magnus, we were just heading back to the cabinet meeting,” Raphael said.

“Perfect. I had just come to fetch the two of you actually,” Magnus replied, taking Alec’s hand. “Shall we?”

Alec didn’t want to ask Magnus what he had heard as they walked back with Raphael, but his mouth pulled up at the corners when he felt Magnus squeeze his hand a bit tighter than normal.

** Week 3 **

Magnus was catching up with Clary in one of the common rooms of the Institute when he saw Alec enter. Neither he or Clary had done a good job of keeping up with the other in the past month, especially with everyone on high alert for the last few days. 

Alec, and the rest of the New York Institute, had been thrown into chaos yet again when the news broke that Valentine had escaped from his cell in Idris after only one week. Magnus was baffled at how the Clave could maintain their false sense of superiority when they proved their own incompetence time and again. But regardless, the pursuit of Valentine had filled their schedules once more, which left little time for anyone to be a good friend. 

His story about his run-in with a seelie he had a whirlwind fling with decades ago trailed off at the sight of Alec firing off orders to a small group of shadowhunters. He couldn’t help it — there was something incredibly attractive about Alec when was in charge. More than anything, Magnus was proud of him. He knew how nervous Alec had been when he first took on his new position, but after a few weeks, people had appeared to fall in line and respect his authority — for the most part. 

Clary cleared her throat next to him.

“Oh,” Magnus said, realizing he had been caught staring. The redhead was smirking at him. “I was just - I mean… as I was saying —”

“Go on,” Clary said, nodding her head toward Alec. Magnus was not going to argue. 

Alec was alone when he reached him, having sent off the other shadowhunters. His back was facing Magnus as he examined a map of New York with a scowl, monitoring the ever-increasing amount of red dots marking the demon attacks across the city. 

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec’s waist from behind, tilting his head up to rest his chin on his shoulder. It was a testament to how far Alec had come and how familiar he was with Magnus’ touch that he did not flinch at the contact. Instead, he seemed to melt into the warlock, his tense muscles relaxing slightly in his presence. 

“How is the Head of the New York Institute doing this afternoon?”

“Mmm, just biting his lip to keep from snapping at the utter stupidity of some of his own kind,” Alec quipped, turning his face to smirk at Magnus, their noses almost brushing. “You know, the usual.”

Magnus chuckled and loosened his grip when he felt Alec turn around to face him, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ back. “And how is the High Warlock of Brooklyn doing?” Alec asked. 

“Doing a lot better now,” Magnus replied with a coy grin. Alec beamed through his blush, and it just made Magnus smile wider. 

God, he was so pleased they decided not to follow their initial rule against PDA. He understood Alec’s worry about appearing biased toward warlocks, he really did, but it wasn’t like people didn’t know they were together in the first place. Alec kind of threw that out the window when he marched away from his own wedding to kiss him in front of a crowd of Clave representatives. 

When Meliorn finally pointed all of this out to him at the last cabinet meeting — in less than polite terms — it was enough to make Alec see reason. It all worked out in the end. As it turned out, Alec was just as eager to openly show his affection toward Magnus as Magnus was. 

He reached up with one hand to brush his thumb across one of the dark circles underneath Alec’s eyes. “You desperately need some time off, Alexander.”

“I wish I could Magnus, but I —”

“Even strong leaders are allowed to take a break every once in a while,” Magnus interjected. He gestured around at the mostly empty first floor of the Institute. “Look around, you’ve done everything right. Everyone is off going about their business. You deserve to take a bit of time and have lunch with your boyfriend, even if it’s only for half an hour.”  
  
Alec smiled softly and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay,” Alec repeated, taking a step away from Magnus to take his hand and lead him to the front doors. “As long as it’s not that Argentinian place again.”

“Come on. I take you to one place three times in a week and suddenly you’re tired of it?”

—

Clary looked on fondly as Magnus approached Alec, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel a little bit envious. The two men had been through so much together, and they had stuck with each other through it all. They made each other so happy, anyone could see that. Meanwhile, Clary’s love life was a complete mess. She craved what Magnus and Alec had so badly, but she couldn’t figure out how to sustain it.

Still, Clary found it pretty hard to be angry as she watched Magnus light up when Alec kissed his cheek. 

“Ugh, do they really have to do that in public?”

Clary tensed at the sound of Duncan’s vicious remark beside her. She had been so distracted that she hadn’t heard him approach, and now as she scanned the room, her heart sunk when she realized that there was nothing she could use as an excuse to get away from him. She wasn’t sure how to respond to his remark. 

After weeks of being at each other’s throats, Clary and Alec had finally settled on a tentative form of friendship. It was certainly easier to be friends than enemies. They both cared about the same people and worked in the same place. More than anything though, they shared a similar level of exasperation with the Clave. On more than one occasion, the two had unwittingly bonded by complaining to each other about the same things.

So yeah, she and Alec were friends, and she definitely was close with Magnus. It infuriated her that there were so many people who were so ignorant when it came to them. Magnus and Alec had the healthiest relationship she’d ever seen. She couldn’t fathom how some people couldn’t see that, let alone hold so much malice toward it. But she knew that neither Magnus nor Alec would want her fighting their battles for them. 

In the end, she opted to grit her teeth and say nothing. Unfortunately, Duncan seemed to take her silence as an agreement to his previous comment. 

“I mean, I get it. They’re _in love_ , or whatever. But can’t they be that way in private? They’re just shoving it in our faces at this point,” he said, sneering at the couple who were now making their way out of the Institute. 

“That’s funny,” Jace said out of nowhere. Ichor was dripping from his seraph blade, and Duncan and Clary stepped away to avoid it as he set it on the table in front of them. “I’m pretty sure that you of all people don’t have room to talk, given what I saw you and Becca doing in the kitchens yesterday morning.”

Duncan sputtered, “That’s different.”

“Is it, really? Because from my perspective, it sure looked like your tongue was doing a whole lot of shoving into Becca’s face at the time. Seems a lot worse than what they were doing just now.”

“We didn’t think anyone was going to walk in,” Duncan defended, going red from either anger or embarrassment. 

“It was 9:30 in the morning.” 

When Duncan had nothing to say to this and simply rolled his eyes, Jace stepped closer to get in Duncan’s face. He smirked when the man shrunk away from him slightly. “You have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to my brother or his relationship,” Jace murmured in a frighteningly soft tone. “So I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

Without giving Duncan a chance to reply, Jace pivoted and walked out of the room. Duncan turned to Clary and gave her an astonished look, like he was expecting her support in this situation. But Clary just raised her eyebrows and shrugged with a smug smile, before following Jace out of the room.

** Week 7 **

Magnus chuckled as he reached out to turn the next page of his book. He couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to read “Don Quixote.” Ragnor had nagged him to read it for centuries, but he always put it off, saying he just didn’t have the time. 

Well, he certainly didn’t have the time today. But as each day grew more bleak, Magnus found himself searching for more reasons to smile. 

As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his jacket pocket, and Magnus grinned when he saw Alec’s name on the screen. He swiped to answer it.

“Hello my —”

“Magnus,” Alec interrupted him. Magnus felt his heart drop into his stomach when he heard the sharp tone in Alec’s voice, quickly followed by a demonic screech and the telltale sound of a blade swiping through the air. 

It was happening. 

Magnus knew this day would come eventually. He had preparing himself for this very call for the last couple of weeks, as the outbreaks of demons only increased and grew closer to the Institute’s base. It didn’t make it any easier to hear Alec sounding like that. 

“Tell me what’s going on,” Magnus said.

“We’re under attack,” Alec panted. Over the line, Magnus could hear him running and distant shouting from further away. “There are demons all over the Institute, but your wards are still up. Someone must have let them in from the inside.”

“Who would do that?”

“I have a hunch.”

By that point in their conversation, Magnus had already put on his coat and was gathering all the supplies he had been collecting for weeks in case of an emergency like this. “I’ll be right there,” Magnus reassured him. 

“Wait Magnus,” Alec said, his urgent tone stopping him in his tracks. 

“What’s wrong?”  
  
“You— I—” Alec’s voice sounded thick, overwhelmed. This was not helping Magnus resist the urge to portal right to him at that moment. “We need you here, Magnus, and soon. But first you have to contact as many warlocks as you can and let them know what’s happening.”

That was not what Magnus expected to hear. 

“What?”

“Look, we don’t know if this is an isolated attack. Someone could be out there planning a follow-up strike right now. We could use as many warlocks as we can here, but if some aren’t able or willing to help, I don’t want them to be hurt because we didn’t consider their safety. If they can’t come to the Institute, tell them to find a safe place to hide.”

Magnus was hit by a wave of emotion at Alec’s explanation. He knew that his boyfriend held himself to a higher standard than that of his fellow shadowhunters, but Magnus was still used to centuries of Nephilim disregarding the well-being of downworlders, even in the most inconsequential of circumstances. For Alec to care so much, even in a time of crisis for his own people — Magnus needed to take a moment before he could respond.

“Okay,” he finally said. “But what about the others? Raphael, and—”

“We’ve got it covered. I have Jace and the rest of them contacting the other downworlder groups to let them know what’s going on and the safe places they can go to wait it out if they need. Just focus on the warlocks.”

“Alright. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Magnus agreed, still somewhat in awe at the selflessness of the shadowhunter on the other line. “Be safe. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alec said, and he disconnected the call.

Alec was about to make his way back to where he had last encountered a demon, but he was stopped by a voice behind him.

“Did I just hear that correctly?” Alec turned to see a small blonde shadowhunter named Blair stalking toward him. He shook his head in exasperation and continued to walk back toward the sound of fighting, but she followed him. “You’re letting half the downworlders in the city go into hiding? Are you nuts? Look, I know you’re all buddy-buddy with a few of them Alec, but shadowhunters are dying here! We need all the help we can get.”

“Do you think that all the downworlders in New York are prepared to take on a swarm of demons Blair?” Alec finally snapped, stopping in his tracks so suddenly that the other shadowhunter ran into his back. He turned to look down at her. “They aren’t. The have families, children, people who haven’t worked their entire lives to deal with situations like this. It isn’t fair to expect them all to come help us at the drop of the hat. Not only does it put innocent lives at risk, but it would only slow us down. Our strong fighters need to be focused on getting rid of these demons, not on saving the lives of those who weren’t trained to handle an attack of this caliber in the first place.”

Seeing that Blair had no response to this, Alec started walking again. He had just pulled out his bow when her hand grabbed his arm and shoved him back. 

“You don’t realize this yet, but you’ve just given all the downworlders the perfect way to screw all of us,” Blair accused. “They’re just going to use this weak hiding excuse as the reason why they didn’t come to help, meanwhile the rest of us are going to be massacred while they—”

“Stop!” Alec yelled, which finally shut Blair up. “I get that you guys love to find reasons why I’m a terrible leader. But you really need to find someone who cares, because I don’t have time for this right now.” 

Alec pulled his arm out of Blair’s hold. He took two steps forward before the familiar sound of a werewolf’s howl shook the walls they were standing near. “If you’ll excuse me,” Alec said, picking up his bow. “It appears our back up has arrived.” And with that, he took off toward the source of the roar. 

** Week 24 **

Alec was shaking.

Magnus wasn’t sure he had ever seen the shadowhunter so nervous. Not even in his first week as the new Head of the Institute. Not even when he had to face his parents after his ruined wedding to Lydia. No, this was a whole new level. 

“Alexander, would you calm down and stop pacing for a moment. You don’t even know that it’s bad news.”

“Of course it’s bad news Magnus,” he turned to face the warlock, who was nursing a glass of wine on the couch. “The Clave Council doesn’t just call shadowhunters in for last-minute private meetings to hand out good news, especially not to people like me.”

“People like you?” Magnus asked. “Does that mean people who have established their skill as a leader? People who have held strong in the face of adversity? People who have single-handedly saved almost an entire generation of downworlders and shadowhunters from certain death?”

“Single-handedly,” Alec scoffed.

“Alexander,” Magnus said with a warning tone. “You never give yourself the credit you deserve. It’s self-destructive. You’ve done nothing to make the Clave question you.”

“But that’s the thing, they don’t need a reason,” he replied, finally losing steam and sitting next to Magnus. “I knew the Clave wouldn’t like me being in charge of the Institute as soon as Jace gave the title to me. I’m honestly surprised I’ve lasted this long. It has to be because of all the insanity with Valentine. It’s kept all of them too busy to deal with me until now.”

“You are a fantastic leader Alexander.”

“That doesn’t matter to them. All they see is that I’m different,” Alec said, and the defeated look in his eyes killed Magnus. “The best I can hope for is that they’ve finally found someone to replace me with. I’m just praying it’s not anything worse.”

Magnus let out a heavy sigh and reached over to take Alec’s hand in his. “Well, whatever happens, you know I’m going to be by your side no matter what.”

This finally made Alec crack a small smile, and he leaned closer to brush his lips against Magnus’. 

Just then the grandfather clock in Magnus’ loft chimed four times, making Alec wince. “I should get going,” he said as he stood from the couch. “The fire message said the meeting was at 4:15 sharp.” 

Magnus snapped his fingers to create a portal. Alec gave him a grateful look, but then looked at the floor a bit sheepishly. “Would you mind letting Izzy and the others know what’s going on? I just know they would blow up my phone if I texted them now, and I don’t have time to tell them in person.”

Magnus gave him a fond look and nodded before stepping forward and giving him one last peck. “Good luck, Alexander.”

Alec stared at him for a long moment after that, seeming to catalogue as many details about Magnus’ face as he could. Finally, with one deep breath, he turned and stepped through the portal into Alicante. 

As amazing as Magnus was, he was able to portal Alec to the same floor that held the council chambers. He started walking toward where he knew the room to be, but slowed down shortly after he recognized his mother talking to two other shadowhunters further down the hall. He couldn’t tell what she was saying to them, but her face looked concerned. 

“Mom?”

Maryse looked up at the sound of her son’s voice. She somehow looked both relieved and upset to see him. With a nod to the other two, she turned to walk toward him. “Alec, how is New York?” She greeted, clearly trying to keep their conversation light. 

Alec was not having any of that. “What’s going on? Do you know anything about this meeting I’ve been called into?”

Maryse seemed to deflate at this. She shook her head at the ground. “I don’t. I’ve been trying to figure that out ever since I heard, but no one seems to know anything. I’ve even talked to some members of the Council, and even they have no idea what this is about.”

“How is that possible?”

Maryse pursed her lips, hesitant to answer Alec’s question. But finally, she did. “It appears the Inquisitor has decided to call this meeting on her authority alone.”

Alec’s heart sunk when he heard this. It was obvious to him that he was not one of Inquisitor Herondale’s favorite people. Not only did her grandson hand him power over the Institute just a day after the Inquisitor bestowed it on Jace, but they had butted heads on several occasions while she was staying at the Institute, and a few instances after she left. The fact that she was the sole reason for this meeting dashed any hope Alec had left. 

“That can’t be good.”

“You don’t know that,” Maryse said, repeating Magnus’ assurances to him. “There is absolutely no reason for the Clave to want to take you away from your position. You’ve done nothing but benefit them so far. Even if the Inquisitor wants to demote you, I’m sure other members of the Council will get her to see reason.”

Alec scoffed in disbelief. “Yeah, right.”

Maryse didn’t have time to alleviate his worries before another voice spoke up a few feet from them. “Lightwood,” a tall man said, nodding his head toward the open doors of the chambers before going inside. Alec took a step toward the room, but Maryse reached out to take one of his hands. 

“Alec,” she said, taking his other hand when he turned to face her again. She smiled sadly at the sight of her son’s guarded expression. “Just know, no matter what happens in there, I am so proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

The look Alec gave her couldn’t be called a smile, but Maryse warmed nonetheless when she saw a corner of his mouth turn up before he took off into the chambers. 

When he entered, his heart raced faster when he saw that the only seat available to him was in the center of the room. The benches that had once been there to provide seating for the public had been removed, and now there was just a simple wooden chair for him, facing the rows of cushioned seating for Council members on a raised dais. Most of the Council were already there, doing nothing to hide their scrutiny of Alec as he took his seat. 

After a few minutes, Inquisitor Herondale stepped into the room from one of the side doors. She glanced at Alec as she walked up to take her seat in the center, but her face betrayed no emotion. 

“Mr. Lightwood, Council,” she greeted once she had taken her seat. She did not look up when addressing them, instead flipping through some of the forms she had in front of her. “I apologize for holding this meeting on such short notice. I understand that you all have very busy schedules, so I appreciate you taking time out of your day to be here.”

Finally, the Inquisitor looked up from the table to address Alec. “Mr. Lightwood. You have been the head of the New York Institute for half a year. I must admit I had my concerns, given the number of verbal and written complaints I received in the days following your appointment.”

Alec stopped himself from rolling his eyes. The only big change he had made as head during his first week was create the downworlder cabinet. If shadowhunters had anything to whine about, ithad to have been based in their irrational hatred toward the downworld, poorly concealed as discontent over his leadership. 

But the Inquisitor was clearly building up to something with her speech, and Alec focused on what she was saying as he braced himself. _‘Here it comes.’_

“However, I have been pleasantly surprised with your performance.”

Alec’s jaw nearly hit the floor. One quick look around the dais and he could see that other Council members had similar reactions. 

“Under your leadership, the New York Institute is being more productive than it has in years. Without your help, Valentine would likely still be at large. But above all else, your ability to salvage the relationship with the downworlder community in your district has displayed a strength in diplomacy that often goes underestimated.”

A few members outright scoffed at this comment, unintentionally proving the Inquisitor’s point. She paid them no mind. Alec became even more confused when he noticed a small grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. 

“The progress you have made in such a short period simply through your good relationships with other downworlders has proved to me that these skills have a value that ought to be utilized at a higher level.”

Alec still did not understand what the Inquisitor was getting at. There was no way the Clave would bring him all the way to Idris just to compliment him. “What do you mean?”

“I _mean,_ Mr. Lightwood, that I am appointing you as the Head of Downworlder Representation.”

_‘What.’_

“What?” A shadowhunter a few seats down seethed at Inquisitor Herondale. The Council member next to him placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him in his seat. 

“With all due respect, Madam Inquisitor, there is no such position,” another shadowhunter spoke up from the opposite side of the dais. 

“That’s true. There wasn’t, until this morning when I created it. Mr. Lightwood will be the first, if he accepts.”

Alec was still reeling at the turn of events, not quite able to believe what he was hearing. So many thoughts were rushing through his head at once, but one question stood out and he found he desperately needed to ask. 

“Would I still be able to remain as the Head of the New York Institute?”

The Inquisitor blinked, somewhat taken aback by his inquiry. But Alec had to know. This position sounded promising, but he had worked his entire life to gain the position he had now. He finally had it, and he would be damned if he had to give it up less than a year in.

“Well, your new position would demand quite a bit of your time. You would be expected to report to the Council regularly, and you would be working with Institutes across the world to help strengthen shadow world relations. I believe most people would be more comfortable holding just one position, but if you think you can handle both—”

“I can handle it,” Alec interjected. “I have complete faith in my team to handle any business in New York while I’m away.”

“Then I see no problem in letting you hold two roles. Your district seems to be benefitting from your—”

“I’m sorry Madam Inquisitor, but I just can’t let this go on any further without protesting this absurd situation,” a thin-haired shadowhunter spoke up from the tail end of the dais. 

The Inquisitor turned a cold stare to him. “In what way is this absurd, Collier?” 

“Aside from the pointlessness of this new position, are you really comfortable handing over that degree of power to a loose canon like Lightwood?” Collier asked, sparing a cruel glance at Alec. “I mean, he all but admitted that he has other, better shadowhunters doing his work for him in New York while he takes the credit.”

“You are stretching Mr. Lightwood’s words incredibly far. His track record speaks volumes about his work ethic,” Inquisitor Herondale responded, her tone getting icier by the second. “And I must object at your use of the term ‘pointless’ to describe a role in downworlder representation. Lightwood’s work in the past six months is proof at how valuable diplomacy with the downworlders can be. If it weren't for the alliances he made within his district, dozens of shadowhunters, mundanes and downworlders alike would be dead right now.”

The shadowhunter who had previously held his colleague back was now shaking his head. “Madam, this position is a joke.”

“I believe time will be the judge of that,” she retorted, and she held up her hand to halt any further protests from the Council. “This is not up for debate. I’ve made my decision. The only other person who gets a say in this is Mr. Lightwood,” she said firmly, turning to pin Alec with an intense stare. “Do you accept the position?”

For the past few minutes, Alec had been frozen, yet he was unsurprised at the reactions he was hearing. The most unexpected part was that there was a single member of the Clave who appeared to put some thought into the lives of downworlders. But Alec was not about to ruin an opportunity like this when he saw one. 

Ignoring the glares from the Council, Alec replied, “Absolutely.”

“Perfect. Now, if you’ll excuse me just a moment I have some quick business to attend to, but please meet me in my office so we can go over the necessary paperwork. I will be just a few minutes,” Inquisitor Herondale said, and without any ceremony, she picked up her papers and stalked out of the room. 

Alec was quick to exit as well, in a hurry to get away from the furious shadowhunters that were left in the chambers. He started toward the Inquisitor’s office, spotting his mother on the way. She gave him a curious look, and the only thing Alec could think to do was give her a thumbs up to let her know it wasn’t bad news at he continued to walk down the hall. Maryse raised her eyebrows, not believing that the meeting had actually brought good news, but she didn’t stop him. Alec let out a deep breath. He wasn’t sure he would be able to articulate what had just happened if she had insisted on speaking with him. 

When he reached the closed doors of the Inquisitor’s office, Alec just about collapsed onto the bench right outside, still working to get his mind in order. Once he properly gathered his thoughts, he had just enough time to send off a quick text summarizing the news to the others back in New York before Inquisitor Herondale was greeting him again and leading him into her office. 

—

When Alec stepped through the portal back to the Institute, he was immediately ambushed by a strong set of arms wrapping around him. It took a single inhale for Alec to recognize the familiar scent of Magnus’ cologne, and he wrapped his arms just as tightly around the warlock. 

“Magnus,” he breathed into his boyfriend’s shoulder, for no other reason than that Alec just needed to say his name. 

Distantly, Alec could hear cheers and other exclamations from his friends and family, but all his ears could focus on were the words Magnus whispered directly to him.“I am so proud of you, Alexander,” he said, his voice breaking even though his words were soft. 

Alec shook his head further into Magnus’ shoulder, unwilling to accept the praise, even now. How could he, when he knew that the majority of the work he was benefitting from was done by those around him?

“It was because of you,” Alec murmured.

“No,” Magnus said firmly. He released his arms from around Alec and leaned back so he could hold his face in both palms. “It was because of _you_. You may never believe me when I say it, but it’s true.”

Magnus kissed him before Alec had a chance to argue. It was a hard, close-mouthed kiss, kept short by their mutual awareness of their audience. Once they broke away, Alec turned and finally took in the small crowd around them. Izzy, Jace and Clary were there, but Alec was more surprised to see the group of downworlders who were also present. Every other member of the cabinet, as well as some odd balls like Simon and Maia, were grinning at him, and he didn’t quite know how to respond. 

Luckily, Izzy approached him before he had to. He was caught off guard when she punched him in the shoulder, even while she was beaming.

“Um, ow?”

“That was for running off to Alicante and not telling us. We were all here brainstorming ways to defend you because Magnus had us thinking you were about to be demoted,” she said, but as soon as she finished her scolding, she pulled him into a hug. “Regardless, I’m incredibly happy for you.”

“Only Alec could over achieve so much that the Clave has to create a brand new position for him,” Jace commented from a few feet away. 

“I never thought I’d see the day the Clave actually did something specifically about improving the treatment of downworlders,” Luke said.

“Does this mean you aren’t the Head of the Institute anymore?” Raphael asked, cutting right to the chase. 

“No way,” Simon spoke up before Alec could answer. “They couldn’t force Alec to resign, could they?”

“I’m not stepping down,” Alec said. “Inquisitor Herondale gave me the opportunity to choose between one or the other, but I told her I could do both.”

“Excellent, I cringe at the prospect of having to work with any of these other Nephilim on a regular basis,” Meliorn said as he glanced around the Institute. The other shadowhunters within earshot didn’t even seem offended.

“That does mean I will need all of you to help me keep things in order here while I have to travel though,” Alec mentioned, looking around at everyone in their group. “Is that alright?”

“Not a problem bro,” Jace said. “We got your back.”

Alec’s shoulders relaxed when no one spoke up to contradict Jace’s promise.

—

“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you now?” Magnus asked. 

The two were tangled together in Magnus’ sheets at his apartment. Maybe not the best time to bring a difficult topic up, but Alec couldn’t help the ghost of a smile as he grazed his lips against Magnus’ chest. He should have known the warlock would notice. 

Magnus invited everyone over to his loft for drinks after greeting Alec at the Institute. He was happy to be surrounded by so many people who supported him and the work he was doing. But a lingering thought kept nagging at him for the rest of the night. It was a thought that festered in his head from the moment he heard of his promotion, and it refused to go away, even in the midst of their celebration. 

Alec thought he had done a good job of hiding it from the others, but as always, Magnus read him like an open book.

“It’s stupid,” Alec tried to deflect.  
  
“Alexander, it’s not stupid if it’s causing you trouble.”

Alec sighed and rolled away from Magnus slightly to get a better look at his face. “It’s just… this promotion — I feel like…”

“What is it?”

“It kind of seems like this is all just another well-intentioned act by the Clave with flawed execution,” Alec said. He continued at the sight of Magnus’ puzzled look. “I mean, the title sounds important and all, but it probably won’t have much substance.”

“You have to stop doubting yourself, Alec.”  
  
“I’m not this time,” Alec replied, pushing himself up on his elbows to stare at him firmly. “You should have seen how those Council members reacted to my promotion, Magnus. They were _livid._ The Inquisitor can’t truly believe that the other shadowhunters I encounter will be any more willing to compromise with downworlders, and my reputation won’t help that. What if this is all just a play for her to improve her popularity?”

“Does that matter?” Magnus asked, which stopped Alec’s rant. “You had so many people against you when you took on your role at the Institute, and look at all you’ve accomplished since then. You’ll do the same in this position.”

“At the Institute I have you and Jace and Izzy and many others by my side. It’s different. I won’t have your help when I’m working with people on the other side of the world.”

“Alexander, believe it or not, there are many people out there who are just as in favor of healing shadow world relations, even more than we realize. They’re just too scared to speak up for fear of exile. You’re presence could be the perfect thing to encourage them to get involved.”

He considered this for a moment, but he was still shaking his head. “I’m just one man, Magnus. This is an enormous problem. How could anyone expect me to fix it single-handedly?”  
  
“No one said you have to do this all by yourself. The Head of Downworlder Representation sounds like the type of title that would include several subordinates working for them, perhaps even their own department?” Magnus suggested. He sat up against the headboard at Alec’s scoff. “I’m serious. You just mentioned how big of an issue this is. Why can’t you hire a staff to help you?”

“The Clave would never allow that.”

“It doesn’t sound like they would have much of a choice. This position has never been held by anyone before you — you can make your own rules,” Magnus reasoned. When Alec continued to look dubious, Magnus carded a hand through his sweaty hair and gave him a soft look. “You could start slow. Bring in just one or two people at first. Then continue to add more once you can prove the effect an organized unit can have at making progress toward a common goal. Lilith knows the Clave could use an example of what good teamwork can accomplish.” 

Alec huffed out a laugh and raised himself up further to sit cross-legged on Magnus’ mattress. “Who knows?” Magnus continued, grabbing one of Alec’s hands to play with his fingers. “Maybe one day you could even hire a few downworlders to work with you.”

Magnus regretted these words immediately, as he watched Alec deflate so soon after he was just coming around to the promising nature of his new job. 

“I’m a shadowhunter in charge of a brand new division on downworlder representation,” he said. The look he gave Magnus was a mix of hopelessness and frustration. “Nevermind the fact that an idea like this should not be nearly as revolutionary as it is — wouldn’t it be better to have the leader of downworlder representation be, I don’t know, a _downworlder?_ I mean, you have to admit that is kind of discouraging.”

“It would be incredibly powerful if a downworlder was given this responsibility, yes. But the world just isn’t there yet darling,” Magnus scooted forward on the bed to cup the back of Alec’s neck in his hand, tilting his downturned face up to meet his own. “You don’t realize how much worse things were for us just a few short years ago. So much progress has been made in the past decade, and this moment is a milestone. Any downworlder would agree with me on that. This won’t solve all the problems we have now, but it is a big step in the right direction, and that’s not nothing.”

Alec was clearly hanging on to every word he said, so Magnus continued. “Do not convince yourself that your efforts did not matter just because the Clave doesn’t know how to properly address downworlder issues. You are in this position now because you refused to back down and fought for what you believed in. It made a difference, and it will continue to make a difference. You are going to make so many people’s lives much better, Alexander, I’m sure of it. That’s just what you do.” 

Alec swallowed down the lump in his throat when Magnus finished speaking, and he leaned forward to press a firm kiss to his lips. “I love you,” he whispered in the small space between them once they separated.

“You are going to do such great things, Alexander Lightwood.”

“Only if I have you here with me to keep me sane,” he replied, and Magnus’ giggles were lost in Alec’s mouth. 

The pair continued to kiss for the next few minutes, but eventually Magnus started to move away and tried to get off the bed, despite Alec’s multiple attempts to pull him back. 

“I just have to wash my face. I’ll only be a moment,” Magnus laughed as he finally got his feet on the carpeted floor. He leaned back for a second to give Alec one last peck. “Don’t move.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Alec reassured him, resting against the headboard. 

Once Magnus had gone, Alec reached out to his nightstand drawer to grab one of the books he was working on. While he was searching for the paperback, his hand brushed against the small velvet box he had tucked away in the back of the drawer a few weeks ago. Alec glanced over at the closed bathroom door, smiling warmly at the sound of Magnus humming behind it. 

_‘Soon.’_

** Week 41  **

“Wow. I can’t believe this is the same room. Our wedding didn’t look nearly this nice.”

Alec beamed at the sight of Lydia making her way down the aisle to greet him. “You still refer to that as a wedding? I like to remember it as a failed business arrangement,” he said without any malice.

“I suppose that’s fair. Still, I’m impressed you were able to put all of this together in just a few weeks. The place looks beautiful.”

“I can’t take any credit. This was all Magnus, and he was up for the challenge. Said his entire life of throwing parties at the snap of his fingers was all just practice for today.”

Lydia laughed out loud at this. “Well, he certainly doesn’t disappoint,” she said, taking in how Magnus had transformed what was a symbolic room for them into an extravagant scene of unity and love. Lydia then turned her attention to the seating that surrounded the altar. “Where should I sit?” she asked, gesturing to which side of the room Alec might be standing in. 

Alec smirked at her. “Wherever you’d like.”

Lydia’s eyes widened as she really looked at the people who were spread out through the room. There was a mixture of shadowhunters and downworlders sitting nearby and conversing with each other throughout the chapel. A few feet from them, Izzy was chatting with a tall seelie. Further away, a shadowhunter Lydia didn’t know laughed along with a vampire at a joke made by the werewolf they were speaking with. 

Alec and Magnus never even considered keeping their audience separated. Setting aside the fact that it would contradict many of the values they’d fought for while they’ve been together, there weren’t enough shadowhunters in attendance to have an equal balance even if they wanted to. Most of the shadowhunters at the New York Institute had accepted Alec and his relationship at this point, and they were scattered throughout the chapel. But there were still plenty in Idris and across the world that disapproved. Alec and Magnus had long ago made peace with the knowledge that they would likely never achieve universal acceptance. It was just easier and less awkward for everyone if they let the downworlders and shadowhunters mix together in this venue. 

“Well, don’t mind if I do then,” Lydia said, nodding at Alec. “I think I passed a vampire that I’d been meaning to connect with on my way in.” She reached out with one hand to squeeze Alec’s arm. “Congratulations Alec.”

After Lydia left, the next few minutes were filled with even more conversations for Alec. Werewolves, vampires, seelies, shadowhunters, warlocks — everyone seemed to want their few minutes to speak with him before the ceremony began. Many of the people Alec already knew, but there were some people he didn’t recognize who came up to tell him stories about Magnus. It would have been overwhelming to Alec a year ago, but now he had experience making polite small talk with strangers. 

He was in the middle of a conversation with three seelies, when an unfamiliar voice caught his attention. 

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”

Alec startled at the specific word choice and swerved away from the seelies to see who had spoken. Giggling at him was a woman, almost as tall as Alec himself, with fire-engine red hair and slate gray eyes. There was something bright about her, something that made Alec believe he had met her before, even though he knew that wasn’t true.

“Magnus said that phrase might get your attention,” she continued after she finished laughing at Alec’s stunned expression.

That explained it. She was another one of Magnus’ acquaintances. Quickly, Alec turned to excuse himself from the seelies he’d been speaking with and turned back to the woman. 

“So you’ve seen Magnus then, I presume? Is he doing alright?” Alec asked.

“Fabulous as usual, don’t you worry. It was great to see him after all this time,” she said, and she extended her hand to him. “I’m Thea Caldwell.”

As Alec shook Thea’s hand, the pieces finally all fit together. Alec remembered Magnus telling him stories about adventures he had with a warlock named Thea Caldwell, a dear friend of his that he hadn’t seen in ages because she got too bored to stay in one area for too long. Alec smiled widely at her. 

“It’s great to meet you Thea. I’m so glad you were able to make it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Thea replied. “What a historic moment this is, for the shadow world and for Magnus himself. As someone who has known the man for centuries, I know he’s been looking for someone like you his entire life. I’m glad he’s finally found you.”

Alec blushed, “I’m glad I found him as well.”

Thea beamed at him, but soon pursed her lips and took a deep breath, as though prepping herself to say something heavy. “I must admit, I did have one selfish reason for wanting to meet you, Mr. Lightwood,” she confessed, and Alec tilted his head to allow Thea to continue. “I was wondering if you might have room in your department left for one more warlock?”

Alec’s eyebrows rose at the unexpected question. Since gaining his promotion by the Inquisitor a few months ago, Alec had been hard at work trying to find ways to improve downworlder representation, and one way he was doing it was by slowly building up a team to work beside him. 

At first, the Inquisitor was hesitant to allow him to bring others on board, which was why he started with other shadowhunters. Clary was the first to volunteer, while Izzy did some work on the side when she wasn’t going on missions or handling Institute business with Jace while Alec was away. 

Once a small handful of shadowhunters were on board, he gained his first downworlder — Simon. Begrudgingly, Alec accepted the intensely annoying vampire when he realized he could sneak him into the group because of his close relationship with Clary. The Clave didn’t even realize Simon was actually working for Alec until he brought in a couple of seelies a few weeks later. 

The Inquisitor was by far their biggest road block. Even though she created the position for Alec, she didn’t love the idea of giving downworlders power within the Clave. But after some weeks of logical persuasion by Alec, combined with some well-placed pandering by her beloved grandson Jace, she caved. Other Clave representatives weren’t even a problem, Alec was shocked to find, mostly because they were blinded by their own ignorance. They underestimated Alec and his new position from his first day, so they didn’t pay much attention to the moves he was making. How could Alec Lightwood possibly make any impact, even if he did bring in one or two others to work for him? 

With the Inquisitor’s approval, Alec brought in more downworlders, though Magnus was never one of them. He respected his decision to remain focused on his work as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, which included his position on the New York downworlder cabinet. But Alec did get Raphael and Meliorn on board. Maia turned out to be a real wild card when she practically insisted on joining when she saw Luke expressing reluctance, but her charming nature turned out to really benefit them in their discussions with other organizations across the shadow world. 

A few other downworlders and shadowhunters had committed to work for Alec as well, but their group was still very small. It was easily the smallest department in the Clave — in fact, Thea was the first person outside of Alec’s close peers to refer to it as a “department” at all, and it heartened him to hear it. 

“I mean, I’m sure Magnus has told you about how I move around a lot,” Thea started to babble, growing restless when Alec remained silent for too long. “I just thought, since I have so many connections with downworlders — and there’s not many languages I’m not fluent in, I—”

“Thea,” Alec interrupted her, and she stared at him with wide eyes. “I would be happy to bring you on board. We are always looking to bring more downworlders into the department. It is focused on downworlder representation, after all.”

Thea chuckled nervously, “Yes, of course. People have been buzzing about the work you guys are doing already. I’m sure you get people requesting to work for you all the time. I just didn’t know if you had any capacity left.”  
  
“With what Magnus has told me about you, I’m confident we could benefit greatly from your skills,” Alec reassured her, not mentioning that a lack of capacity was far from a problem. Thea beamed at him. “There is some paperwork you will need to fill out, and that will have to wait until after I get back from my honeymoon. But we should be able to get you on board fairly easily.”

“Well that’s great news. I look forward to working with you Mr. Lightwood.”

“Likewise,” Alec said, shaking Thea’s hand again. “Thank you for coming forward, Thea. The world could use more people who are willing to step up like you just did.”

Before Thea could reply, Raphael appeared out of nowhere. With a nod to Thea, he turned to Alec, “We’re good to go.”

“I should take my seat then,” Thea said, giving Alec a wink as she turned away. “We’ll be in touch.”

Alec spoke with Raphael a second longer, making sure everything had been properly settled, and then walked back up the aisle to take his place at the altar next to Jace. His parabatai clapped him on the shoulder from where he stood beside him. 

“You ready to get married buddy?”

“Honestly? I don’t think I could wait another second.”

** Week 150 **

The loft was quiet when Magnus stepped out of the portal. 

The silence wasn’t too unusual, but the emptiness had Magnus on edge. On days like this, when Magnus had to work late, he would typically come home to find Alec on the couch reading a book, or out on the balcony gazing at the New York skyline. Sometimes, it wasn’t so quiet, with Alec’s family over, or Catarina or Dot paying them a visit. More recently, the peaceful silence was broken by the high-pitched giggling of a certain child. 

It was that thought that made Magnus turn right, away from the living area and walk down the hall by his and Alec’s bedroom. He spotted his husband leaning against the doorway in the corner, his back facing Magnus. He smiled warmly and padded over to wrap his arms around Alec from behind.  
  
“How is it that you can get Max to go to sleep so early, but when I try he ends up bouncing off the walls all night?” Magnus whispered in his ear.

He stared into the room at the sight of their son curled up in a blanket inside his crib. The room itself was a fairly new addition to their apartment. Magnus created it just two weeks ago when he and Alec decided to officially adopt Max. 

Alec found Max on his way back from a mission almost two months ago. He heard a noise down a dirty alleyway a few blocks from the Institute. Alarmed by the sound at first, he took out his bow and proceeded with caution into the darkness. But when he located the source of the noise, a small whimpering bundle of blankets huddled near a dumpster, Alec dropped his weapon and hurried over to pick it up. 

When he uncovered the infant’s face, Alec almost dropped him at the sight of his bright blue skin. For a moment, he thought it might be a demon in disguise, but then the child opened his mouth and let out a long wail, and Alec’s heart sunk. He knew the most likely reason why he would find a warlock child here, clearly abandoned in the middle of a big city. 

The child — who Alec decided to call Max in honor of his little brother — was left in the care of Magnus and Catarina while Alec and others at the Institute spent the following weeks trying to search for any potential family the baby could have. Unfortunately, they came up empty, and then they were left to figure out Max’s future for themselves. 

In the end, Magnus was the one to pitch that they should adopt him. He had told Alec about how difficult own childhood had been after all of his blood relatives were gone. He mostly had to fend for himself, only occasionally relying on the Silent Brothers, but he never received the love and nurturing that every child deserves. He didn’t want Max to go through the same thing he did. 

He didn’t have to sell Max too hard on Alec. The pair had been discussing the concept of children for about a year before Alec found Max. And while Alec expressed concern about his lack of knowledge on raising a warlock child, especially as a mortal, Magnus was able to convince him that he had all the makings of a terrific father. When it came down to it, Alec and Magnus already loved him, and that was what counted. 

Max made their lives so much happier. Magnus had always loved children, and though he dreamed of one day having a family of his own, he never truly believed he would have it. He knew Alec thought the same way. Relaxing further into Alec’s back, Magnus felt his heart warm when he looked upon his sleeping son. 

Magnus hadn’t questioned Alec’s silence through the moment. He knew his husband preferred actions over words, and his question from a minute ago was mostly rhetorical anyway. But he was caught off guard when Alec grabbed one of Magnus’ hands and pulled him away from Max’s room, shutting the door behind them. It was on their walk back into the living room that Magnus first noticed the tension in Alec’s shoulders.

“Alexander, is something wrong?”

They finally arrived in the living room, and Alec turned around to face Magnus for the first time. Magnus gasped at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes and furrowed brows. Alec still didn’t say a word. He just stared at Magnus with a haunted look on his face. 

“Oh my god, baby what happened?” Magnus asked, taking a step forward to cup Alec’s face in his palms.

“We can’t take Max to the Institute anymore.”

Magnus stepped back again at the statement. Now he was just confused. “Alec, you’re scaring me. What’s going on? Has something happened?”

Alec let out a pained sigh and guided them over to sit on the couch before he started on his story. “I was sent back to Ecuador today for the Clave, so I left Max with Izzy. I didn’t hear about what happened until I got back hours later.”

Magnus’ stomach sank. They had left Max in Izzy’s care plenty of times before. Izzy loved Max, and he loved her. But Magnus did not like where this story was going. Suddenly, he hated the fact that he had just seen Max sleeping when he got home, instead of restlessly refusing to go to bed like he normally was at this hour. 

“Is Max alright?” Magnus asked urgently.

“He’s fine, thank the Angel,” Alec reassured him before he launched fully into the story.

Max was a curious child. He loved to explore, and find new places he hadn’t been before. Izzy knew this, so when she was in charge of watching Max, she liked to take him on walks in his stroller through the Institute, since it was one of the few safe places they were allowed to take him when Magnus wasn’t around to glamour his blue skin. Unfortunately, that day the two encountered a couple of shadowhunters who were visiting from another state, and they didn’t exactly approve of the Head of the New York Institute taking in a warlock child.

This wasn’t news to Alec or Magnus. Just days after discovering him in that alley, Alec started hearing whispers as he walked the hallways in Alicante, or even when visiting other Institutes across the world. After years of his persistence, most shadowhunters Alec came across appeared to at least tolerate his relationship with the downworld, especially since Alec proved time and again the benefits of his strong relationships in a crisis. But obviously that tolerance did not apply when the downworlder did not offer any skills that could benefit the Clave. Alec heard even more of those whispers in the last two weeks since officially adopting Max.

_“What does Lightwood think he’s doing, taking in a warlock as his own?”_

_“It’s just unnatural. Him dating one was one thing, but this?”_

_“Degrading himself…”_

He knew what they thought, but Alec never thought anyone would stoop to this. 

“When Izzy and Max passed the other shadowhunters in the hallway,” Alec said, pushing out the words as though they caused him physical pain. “One of them… he kicked at the stroller as he walked by. Nearly knocked Max out of his seat.”

Magnus gripped Alec’s hand tightly. “You said Max was fine.”

“He is. It didn’t even leave a scratch on him. He got scared though. Jace said it took over an hour to calm him down.”

“And the shadowhunter?”

“Izzy dealt with him.”

_“She beat the absolute_ shit _out of him Alec, you should have seen it,” Jace laughed as he relayed the story to him. He obviously didn’t find the incident concerning at all. “I’ve never seen a man beg for mercy so pathetically in my life.”_

_Alec never wanted to punch Jace as much as he did in that moment._

“Okay,” Magnus said slowly, waiting a few seconds to see if there was more to the story. When there was none, he continued his thought.“So Max is fine, and the shadowhunter who lashed out was properly dealt with. Care to explain why we can’t let Max back into the Institute anymore?”

Alec sputtered. “Another shadowhunter tried to hurt our son today Magnus! Max is just a baby, and this guy wanted to seriously cause him harm!”

Magnus had a sinking feeling that what had happened to the other Max was feeding into Alec’s feelings on today’s incident, but Magnus knew better than to bring it up. “Alexander, no one is going to let that shadowhunter near Max ever again.”

“You don’t seriously believe that there’s no one else out there that thinks like him, do you?” Alec asked, getting up from the couch so he could pace around the living room anxiously. “You’ve heard what people are saying Magnus! There are probably hundreds of shadowhunters out there who would do the same thing if they were given the chance, or worse!”

“Then we’ll be more careful in the future, but we can’t just keep Max locked away in the apartment for the rest of his childhood because of this.”

“I can’t believe you are willing to risk our son’s safety!”

Magnus gritted his teeth and clenched his fists on the couch. He knew not to take Alec’s words to heart, that he was just saying these things out of his own fear. But those accusations were tough to hear. One look at Alec, and Magnus could see that he clearly regretted the words, but he was still unwilling to back down on the issue. 

“Alexander,” Magnus said, trying to remain the calm one in this situation. “I am just as furious as you are that this happened. I wish I could go back in time and prevent it. But what’s done is done, and it’s been resolved, and now we need to learn from it. We can take extra steps to ensure Max’s safety, especially when neither of us can be there to watch him, but not letting him be exposed to the outside world is a step too far.”

“It’s the only way to be completely sure he won’t get hurt,” Alec tried to persuade him. 

“That’s not sustainable, Alec,” Magnus replied, standing up to take Alec’s shoulders to stop his pacing. “You know our Max will want to travel the world one day, probably soon. What then? What will keep him safe when he’s off in Portugal, or Mongolia, or New Zealand? Shielding him from all that now will only make him less prepared to encounter it in the future.”

“When he’s older it will be a totally different story,” Alec argued. “By that point we will have had years to teach him and make sure he’s ready. Right now he is completely unable to defend himself.”

“That’s why he has us, and Jace, and Izzy, and all the others who love him,” Magnus said. “What about them? It’s unfair to deprive the rest of his family from time with him over this.”

“Izzy can portal in here to visit as much as she wants, just as anyone else can.”

“But we both know that not letting Max leave will cut their quality time in half, at the very least,” Magnus countered. He moved his hands up Alec’s neck to cup his cheeks like he did earlier. “Look, I know you’re scared. What that shadowhunter did was despicable, I agree with you there. But doing this would just be punishing Max for another person’s wrongdoing. He wouldn’t be happy.”

“You’re right,” Alec admitted, but he didn’t look assured at the revelation. He took a few steps forward and deflated into one of their chairs, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle on the way. “God, I’m terrible at this already.”

“No,” Magnus said fiercely, striding over and kneeling in front of Alec. His heart constricted when he saw Alec rub at his eyes with the heel of his palm, clearly trying to hold back more tears. “Oh honey, I always knew you would be a protective father. But please realize there is nothing wrong with how you’ve reacted to this. Lilith knows how many instances there will be in the future where I get way too overdramatic about something to do with Max.”

“You’ve never let something like this happen when you’ve watched him,” Alec countered, almost accusingly. 

“I’ve let Catarina or Raphael watch over him plenty of times when I’ve been busy. Something like this could have easily happened then, or even when I’ve been watching him myself. We should not feel bad that we both have demanding jobs that sometimes make us rely on others to watch over our child. The next few years will be hard, but it will be so worth it. The work you are doing now will make a difference when Max gets older,” Magnus said, reaching out and gripping one of Alec’s hands in his. “Do not convince yourself that you are a bad father when you go out there everyday, trying to make the world better for your son. I’m pretty sure that’s what every good parent strives for.”

Alec gazed at him, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. Slowly, Alec raised Magnus’ hand to his lips. “How is it,” he murmured, as his lips grazed the metal on Magnus’ ring finger, “that you always know what to say?”

Magnus smirked at him. “One of my many talents.”

“This one is actually useful,” Alec replied, ignoring Magnus’ scoff. He leaned forward to brush his lips against Magnus’ and whispered, “Thank you.”

Magnus tilted his head to deepen the kiss, but cut off with a laugh when Alec yawned into his mouth. He stood up, pulling Alec with him. “We’ve both had a long, exhausting day. I believe we deserve to turn in a little early this evening.”

“Like Max has ever let us sleep through the night,” Alec said, slinging an arm around Magnus as they made their way to the bedroom. He stopped them a few feet from the room and looked down the hall at Max’s closed bedroom door. “Speaking of which, you activated the spell?”

“If Max needs us at any point, we’ll know,” Magnus reassured him, and he pulled Alec by the arm into the bedroom. “Now come on, Dad of the Year.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Okay, now you really are being overdramatic. It’s been _two weeks_. Give me some time to really earn that title, will you?”

** Week 225 **

Alec hadn’t had a day this perfect in a long time. 

So, naturally, he was a bit on edge. 

Both Magnus and Alec had business to attend to in Alicante that day, but neither of them expected it to take long, so they decided to bring Max along to his first visit to Idris, leaving him in Maryse’s care while they worked. Maryse _adored_ Max, much to Alec and Magnus’ surprise. She cherished every moment she was able to spend with her only grandson, so she gladly agreed when Alec asked her for the favor a day ago. 

Like they thought, Magnus and Alec finished their duties within two hours, and decided to spend the rest of their day exploring the city with their son. Now that Max could walk, he wanted to go everywhere, and the pair had to keep a close eye on him to make sure they didn’t lose him.

The crowds were what made Alec the most nervous, primarily the fact that they were mostly surrounded by other shadowhunters. By then, Magnus and Alec had each established their status within the shadow world. People knew how much power they held, but Alec had learned the hard way never to underestimate the hatred some people had for people like him. And in Alicante, they were clearly outnumbered if a group wanted to organize an attack on them. 

So far, no one really seemed to be paying them much attention, which he was relieved to see. But that didn’t mean Alec was letting his guard down any time soon. 

Magnus noticed Alec’s frayed nerves almost immediately, and he squeezed his hand. He was determined not to let his husband’s worries — even his legitimate worries — affect their day. And despite his slight anxiety, Alec really was having fun. Max loved Idris, clearly. Alec laughed at the amazed looks he gave some of the ancient buildings that he had never really stopped to appreciate before. But what Max loved most were the fountains, enthralled by the spiraling, marble structures that spewed water from different angles. On more than one occasion, Magnus had to use his magic to prevent Max from crawling into the water. 

It was at one of the larger fountains in the city that Alec felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to find a shadowhunter he did not recognize staring up at him. 

“Mr. Lightwood-Bane? Do you mind if I took a moment of your time?”

Alec turned his head back to give Magnus a meaningful look. His husband nodded in understanding, and he picked up Max to take him to the other side of the fountain. Close enough so Magnus could still see what was going on, but far enough away that there was no serious threat to Max. 

Not that Alec was especially concerned with this stranger. His brown eyes held no malice, in fact they had a sort of brightness to them as he watched Magnus and Max walk away. Even if that was all a ruse, Alec doubted that the young shadowhunter could pose any real danger to him — he couldn’t be older than 15. But still, Alec knew that there was no age limit to hurtful words people could hurl, and Alec didn’t want his son or his husband subjected to that. 

“And you are?” Alec asked when the dark-skinned boy didn’t speak, instead opting to switch his awed gaze between Alec and his family.

“Oh! Sorry, my name’s Lucas,” he said, finally. “I saw you here, and I just knew I would kick myself if I didn’t stop to thank you for all the work you’ve done in the past couple of years.”

“Really,” Alec said, not willing to believe that a shadowhunter in Alicante had gone out of his way just to praise him.

“Yeah! I’ve been a fan of you for years — ever since you became the head of your Institute way back when Valentine was still a problem. I didn’t believe it at first. I was sure the Clave would never allow an openly gay shadowhunter to be in charge, especially not one who was in a relationship with a warlock. But you did it,” Lucas said, looking up at Alec with wide eyes and a huge smile that took up his entire face. “And you kicked ass at it. And then you created your own department, and you started traveling around the world. And then you got _married._ You’re a hero, man.”

“I don’t know that I’m a hero, exactly,” Alec said as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

“You are. Your success is what made me comfortable enough to come out to my parents two years ago.”

Alec held back a gasp at the boy’s confession. “Wow. That’s amazing Lucas.”

“Yeah, they didn’t really understand it at first, but they’ve come around. I’ve seen more and more people be open with themselves and accept others in the past few years, and you were the first person to show that it was okay. That you can be yourself and still be an amazing shadowhunter, no matter what.”

Alec was lost for words for a moment. All this time, he’d been working to make a difference for the downworld, but he’d never dreamed he would make such an impact in this way. Suddenly, Alec felt the need to do more than just shake this kid’s hand or give him an autograph. He patted his legs until he felt one of his business cards he kept on his person.

“Here, take my card,” Alec said, handing the paper over to Lucas, who took it even though his eyes looked like they were about to bug out of his head. “Feel free to call me if you ever need anything.”  
  
“Are you serious?” Lucas breathed.

“Sure,” Alec said, smiling reassuringly at the boy. “Maybe when you’re older we can discuss bringing you into my department?”

“O-Okay!” Lucas agreed, sounding almost too enthusiastic at the idea. A second later, Alec heard a phone buzz, and Lucas reached into his pocket to pull it out. One look at the screen, and he cursed. “Shit, I’ve been leaving Grant waiting.”

Lucas looked positively torn, glancing between his phone, Alec and the business card several times before Alec spoke up to put him out of his misery. “Go ahead.”

“Right,” Lucas agreed, hurrying back from where he came while glancing back at Alec every few seconds. “It was so great to meet you,” he called as he jogged away. “I’ll call you!” Lucas shouted once more before he turned the corner and was out of sight. 

Alec stood frozen as he gazed at the spot where Lucas disappeared, trying to contemplate what had just happened. He didn’t even hear Magnus approaching with Max. 

“Should I be worried about him?”

Alec barked out a laugh at this, and he turned to face Magnus. “No,” he reassured him. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that kid would be absolutely heartbroken if I showed interest in anyone who wasn’t you.”

“Good to know,” Magnus said, stepping forward to take Alec’s hand. “Max and I are getting a bit hungry, I don’t know about you. Know any good places around here where we can grab lunch?”

Alec looked around the streets they were near as he considered Magnus’ question. All of a sudden, he became aware of just how many shadowhunters were milling about just feet from them, and he was struck by how many didn’t even blink at the sight of their tiny, unconventional family in the center of the biggest shadowhunter city in the world. He had not seen anybody so much as sneer at them all day. The shadowhunters who did notice them only smiled at them, some even going so far as to give him a nod of approval. Alec knew it would take a long time for the shadow world to get where it should be, but this moment cemented how far they had progressed in just a few short years. 

“Alexander?” Magnus asked, breaking him out of his reverie. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Alec said, squeezing Magnus’ hand to alleviate his husband’s concern. “Everything is perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr @steakandvodka


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